Of the 18 players on the roster to begin the 16-game season, which starts Saturday afternoon in Owensboro in a scrimmage against the NAIA Brescia University’s varsity, only four are back from last season. The returnees are goalkeeper Andrew Buckles (home schooled/Elizabethtown Christian Academy product), midfielder/defender Michael Bell (Central Hardin), midfielder David Gomez (John Hardin) and midfielder Jake Bartelt (Elizabethtown).

Bell, who is a co-captain along with Buckles, said the preseason hasn’t been that much different from last year, when every player was new.

“Everybody’s out there doing what we can to try to bond a little bit so we can make the team stronger,” Bell said. “But I think we’re looking stronger. I think we have a lot better attack. Now our defense still needs some work, but I think we’re going to be all right.”

The defense got a boost with the transfer of former John Hardin standout Will Kohler, who made 17 starts last season for the NAIA St. Catharine College varsity.

“It was an expensive college. I mean I started all year, but it was just way too expensive,” Kohler said. “I was going to end up with $30,000 in loans in just two years.”

Kohler didn’t return home alone as former John Hardin star Chris Wilk, who started four times and appeared off the bench in 10 contests last season for the St. Catharine varsity, chose to go to college closer to his roots.

The Barons also picked up three transfers – all Central Hardin graduates – from NAIA power Lindsey Wilson College in midfielder Nikos Mastoroudis, midfielder/striker Tristan Long and goalkeeper/field player Zach Page. Mastoroudis came off the bench four times last year for the Blue Raiders’ varsity, while Long was a star running back/receiver in high school and Page also played football in his prep days.

“I think we have a really good team because everyone’s cooperating and moving the ball well,” Mastoroudis said. “I’m just excited for this season.”

“As far as skill level goes, we’re definitely a step up this season,” Andrew Buckles said. “We have a lot of skilled players this year, which is an improvement.”

Andrew Buckles said he is a little more at ease this season, compared to getting thrown into the fire at a stressful position like goalkeeper last season.

“It had its challenges,” he said with a laugh. “And from the places I had played, it might have been a bigger adjustment for me compared to some players.”

The Barons will be on the road quite a bit this season, but they were able to get home games at the Elizabethtown Sports Park with St. Catharine (Aug. 23, 7 p.m.) and Lindsey Wilson (Oct. 2, 7 p.m.) as well as Southern State Community College of Hillsboro, Ohio (Aug. 25, 1 p.m.). The Barons will also host the JV team from NAIA Mid-Continent University at 7 p.m. Sept. 6 at Mike Carroll Soccer Complex in Elizabethtown.

Head coach Alex Molina said the Barons learned a lot from their debut.

“We learned we had to go out and recruit new players and not just go with what we had,” said Molina, a former high school coach with John Hardin and Fort Knox. “But we’ll have a pretty good team this year and I’m happy to say we have at least 18 on the roster.”